KR20030068377A - Network device and network device controlling method - Google Patents

Abstract

Providing a network device and a method for controlling the network device, which enable the network device connected to the IP network, the AV device connected to the 1394IF through the gateway device from the IP network, and the white goods connected to the ECHONET without being distinguished. It is a task. To solve this problem, a network device serving as a controller detects a service of a target network device by using a message according to a common information exchange protocol in a network, and provides information such as a method of accessing a service, a function name, and a parameter. And an information exchange protocol processing unit for collecting and exchanging messages in accordance with a protocol common to the network devices. The network device that is the target of control is composed of a service for providing information to the controller for control by the network device serving as a controller, and the information exchange protocol processor.

Description

NETWORK DEVICE AND NETWORK DEVICE CONTROLLING METHOD}

The present invention relates to a network device and a method for controlling the network device, and more particularly, to a network device and a method for controlling the device, suitable for building a control system in which network devices connected to the same network and network devices connected to another network through a gateway are mixed. It is about.

With the spread of PCs and the expansion of broadband communication networks such as Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL), Internet access from homes is becoming more popular. In AV equipment, the HAVi standard is defined as middleware for interoperation of devices connected via the IEEE1394 serial interface (hereinafter, referred to as 1394IF), and AV / C (Audio Video Control) commands are specified as control commands. Moreover, ECHONET standard is prescribed | regulated as so-called white household network standards, such as an air conditioner and a refrigerator. In addition, the AV network and the white household appliances are also available that can be connected to the IP network, it is possible to control the device via the Internet.

In the prior art, only control of devices connected to the same network, such as a device connected to an IP network, a device connected to 1394IF, or a device connected via ECHONET, has been considered. Some bridge technologies, such as IPover1394, allow access from 1394IF through platforms such as IP networks, but these are one-to-one platform-specific technologies that are not universally available.

An object of the present invention is to control a network device and a network device, which make it possible to control a network device connected to an IP network, an AV device connected to a 1394IF via a gateway device from an IP network, and a white appliance connected to an ECHONET without being distinguished. To provide a way.

1 is a diagram illustrating a network device control system configured as a network device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 illustrates a software configuration of a controller and a network device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a diagram illustrating information of a target service provided to a controller by a target device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a diagram illustrating a message exchanged in a controller and a target device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

5 is a diagram showing a software configuration of a network device having a controller and a gateway function according to an embodiment of the present invention.

6 is a diagram illustrating device list information of a target service provided to a controller by a target device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 illustrates device function list information of a target service provided to a controller by a target device according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG.

8 illustrates a message exchanged in a controller and a target device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an access URL of a device managed by a target GW apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

<Explanation of symbols for main parts of drawing>

100: IP network

110: controller

120: D-CAM

130: washing machine

140: AV device GW

141: D-TV

142: VTR

150: white goods GW

151: microwave

152: refrigerator

In order to achieve the above object, in the present invention, a network device serving as a controller detects a service of a network device as a target by using a message according to a common information exchange protocol in a network, and accesses a service to the network device, It comprises a controller application that collects information such as function names, parameters, and the like, and exchanges messages according to a protocol common to the network device and the controller application that controls the network device at the request of a user or another application. The network device that is the target of control comprises a target service that provides the controller with information (function name, parameter information, access URL, function of the network device, etc.) for controlling by the network device serving as the controller, and the information exchange protocol processing unit. .

<Example>

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1 is an example of a network device control system configured as a network device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Reference numeral 100 denotes an IP network to which a network device is connected, reference numeral 110 denotes a network device (hereinafter, referred to as a controller) having a function of controlling another network device connected to the IP network 100, and reference numeral 120. Denotes a digital video camera (D-CAM) as an example of an AV network device, and reference numeral 130 denotes a washing machine as an example of a white network device. Reference numeral 140 denotes a network device having a gateway function to an AV device network, which is connected to a 1394IF 143 such as a digital television (D-TV) 141 or a digital video recorder (D-VTR) 142. An AV device gateway (hereinafter referred to as AV device GW) and a reference numeral 150 having a capability of controlling digital AV equipment is a network device having a gateway function to a white home appliance network, and a microwave oven 151 or a refrigerator 152. It is a white household appliance GW which has the capability to control the white household appliance connected to the back ECHONET 153.

In this embodiment, the controller 110 includes the network devices l20, 130, 140, 150 on the network and the network devices 140, 150 having the gateway function are provided with program modules capable of operating in cooperation by exchanging messages. do. The controller can acquire information necessary for controlling the network device by exchanging messages, and control the network device and its subordinate devices by a common protocol including a device connected under the network device having a gateway function. It becomes possible.

Hereinafter, a configuration of a control method and a network device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 2 is an example of a software configuration of a controller and a network device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In Fig. 2, the same functions as those in Fig. 1 are denoted by the same numerals, and description is omitted. Reference numeral 100 denotes an IP network to which a network apparatus is connected, reference numeral 110 denotes a controller having a function of controlling the network apparatus, and reference numeral 120 denotes a digital video camera which is one of controlled network apparatuses. It is called a device.

The controller 110 generates a message according to an information processing protocol by a controller application (hereinafter, referred to as a controller AP) 230 for controlling a network device or a request of the controller AP, or interprets the received message and sends the message to the controller AP. And an information exchange protocol processor 220 for exchanging messages according to a protocol common to the network device, and a network driver for transmitting and receiving data to and from the network physical layer. The target device 120 provides an interface of function calls for controlling the target device itself, and controls the target device such as the function of the device control service 241 and the target device to control the target device itself according to the called function. A target service that provides an interface of a function call for providing necessary information and provides a controller with a service for controlling the target device itself comprising the device information providing service 242 which provides the requested information according to the called function. 240), the received message is classified and classified by the protocol processor to be passed, and the message generation / interpretation processing unit 221 and the message generation / receiving a return value are returned to the sender of the message. Analyze the message received from the analysis processing unit 221, give a parameter to the corresponding function, and process the result. Taken to constitute the message generating / interpreting processing unit 221, the information exchange protocol processing unit 220 consisting of the device control protocol processing section 222 and the information providing device protocol 223 to return to a network driver 210.

Here, the process of the controller 110 and the target apparatus 120 is demonstrated using FIG. 3, FIG. 3 is an example of information of the target service 240 provided by the target device to the controller 110 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a view of a message exchanged between the controller 110 and the target device 120. For example, the controller 110 shows an example of controlling the zoom of the camera function of the target device.

When the controller 110 detects the target device 120 on the network, it transmits a message to the target device ((1) of FIG. 4), and acquires information of the target service 240 as shown in FIG. 3 as an example. do. As an example of a method for detecting a target device targeted by the controller, the controller sends a message to the network inquiring a target device having a target function by using a multicast message of User Datagram Protocol (UDP). It is possible to determine the answering network device as a target device and to obtain an IP address of the target device of interest from the response message. However, in the present invention, no limitation is placed on the detection method of the target device. In FIG. 3, the target device 120 is a target service, and the device control service includes a device control service 241 and a device information providing service 242 having functions of VCR control and camera control. It shows information such as parameters to be used and URLs to access. The controller that obtains the format information such as a function or an access function of a service provided by the target device sends a message to the access URL of the target device, including a message including a function for controlling the target device according to a user's operation or another application's request. To control the device. In the example of FIG. 4, the device list acquisition request is transmitted (FIG. 4 (3)), and it can be seen from the response that the target device 120 has a camera function and a VCR function. Further, in order to obtain the function name of the camera function, a function function name acquisition request is sent with CAMERA as a parameter (Fig. 4 (5)), and the function zoom of zoom is obtained. Then, the zoom function 10 is transmitted using the zoom factor 10 as a parameter, and the zoom factor of the target device 120 is set to 10 times, and the zoom factor 10 specified as the returned value is obtained.

As described above, the controller 110 controls the target device by obtaining information such as a function of the target device, a URL for accessing the function, a function name, a parameter, or the like by exchanging a message with the target device 120. Therefore, according to this method, the controller does not need to know the information for controlling the target device in advance, and only the protocol of message exchange and the expression format of the data need to be shared between the controller and the target device. It is possible to construct a flexible network device control system against variations in the type of devices, such as increase and decrease, AV equipment, and white goods.

Moreover, as an example of the application component which comprises the controller AP 230 of a controller, and the target service 240 of a target apparatus, there exists a web service which can be accessed using the various web protocols of Internet standards. In Web service, Extensible Markup Language (XML) format is used for data representation, and Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) is used for message exchange. In addition, a language specification based on XML called Web Service Description Language (WSDL) is used to describe the functions provided by Web services. It is also possible to construct a network control device and a control method according to the present invention in an original message protocol or data format, but by applying the technology of the Internet standard, a more versatile system can be constructed.

5 is an example of a software configuration of a network device having a controller and a gateway function according to an embodiment of the present invention. In Fig. 5, those having the same function are indicated by the same numbers. Reference numeral 100 denotes a controller, and reference numeral 140 is an STB which is one of network devices having a controlled GW function, hereinafter referred to as a target GW apparatus. Since the function of the controller is the same as that of FIG. The target GW device 140 is under the management of the target GW device itself and the gateway and the device control service 241 which provides an interface for controlling the device (141, 142 of FIG. 1) under the management of the target GW device itself and the gateway. A target service comprising a device information service 242 that provides information necessary for device control, such as the functions of the device (l41, 142 of FIG. 1), and providing a service for controlling a device under management of a target GW device and a gateway. (240) accessing the corresponding device control service according to the control message received from the message generation / interpretation processing unit 221, which generates a message according to the information processing protocol or interprets the received message and passes it to a corresponding object. According to the information request message received from the device control protocol processing unit 222 and the message generation / analysis processing unit 221, the device information acquisition service is sent to the device information acquisition service. The information exchange protocol processor 220, the network driver 210, and the second network 143 under the gateway management and the second network 143 constitute a device information protocol processor 223 configured to access and acquire and return device information. A network 2 driver 520 and a network 2 middleware 510 used as the second network are used.

The target GW device detects the increase or decrease of the device connected to the second network using the network 2 middleware 510, and uses the function of the network 2 middleware 510, and the device under the gateway from the device control service 241. Device 2 information 541 and device 3 information 542 which are applications for acquiring device information under the gateway from the device 2 control 531, the device 3 control 532, and the device information providing service. Acquire or generate.

Here, the procedure of collecting and controlling the information of the device to be controlled by the controller in one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 6, 7 and 8.

FIG. 6 shows a case where the data list of XML is shown as an example of device list information. Device information of the network device itself 140 and the devices 141 and 142 connected to the second network 143. In Fig. 6, the notation enclosed by " " and " &quot; indicates the meaning of information described as being called a tag. In this example, <target_list> represents a target device managed by the target GW device 140, <device> represents separation of physical devices, and <target> represents operable functions of individual devices. <device_name> is a name for identifying a device, and <device_display_name> is a display name used when it is displayed to a user. The device list information includes the device information of the device 2 (141) and the device 3 (142) connected to the second network 143 by the device information providing service 240, and the device 2 information (541) and the device 3 information (542). Acquire, generate, and link each piece of device information.

7 is an example of a device function list. In the present embodiment, a device function list is provided in units of <target> of FIG. 6, and detailed information of one function is listed as a <function> tag under <function_list>. As an example of the detailed information of the function, <function_name> indicating the name of the function in FIG. 7, <function_type> indicating whether the operation of the function is a control or a status query, <parameter_name> indicating the name of the parameter to be used, and detailed information of the parameter It shows <parameter_direction> indicating input parameter, output parameter or input / output parameter, and <parameter_type> indicating parameter type. In the device function list, similarly to the device list information, the device information providing service 240 connects the device 2 information 541 and the device 3 information of the device 2 141 and the device 3 142 connected to the second network 143. Acquire, generate, and manage using 542.

8 shows an example of a procedure in which the controller 110 acquires the information of the target device 140 and operates a desired target function. When the controller 110 detects the target device 140 on the network, the controller 110 transmits a message to the target device ((1) of FIG. 8), and acquires information for accessing the device information providing service as a response. If the target device 140 publishes the device information providing service as a Web service, the response is the address of the WSDL for using the device information providing service (Fig. 8 (2)). The controller obtains a service provided by the device information providing service 242 and its interface information from the WSDL. The service provided here is the same as the service shown in 242 of FIG. Using the device information providing service, the controller 110 transmits a device list list acquisition request (Fig. 8 (3)). The device information providing service 242 of the target device refers to the generated device list information (FIG. 6), also includes the information of the device connected to the second network, generates a device list and returns a response (FIG. 8). (4)).

Next, the controller transmits a device function list acquisition request in order to acquire the function of the desired device (Fig. 5 (5)). In the example of Fig. 8, a list of functions of the TV is requested. The device information providing service 242 refers to the device list information (Fig. 6), and returns the tuner function (clock) and the clock function (clock) in the function list (Fig. 8 (6)). In addition, a function function acquisition request is sent to obtain a function name of a desired function (Fig. 8 (7)). In this example, no parameter is specified, and a list of functions related to the operation of the entire apparatus is requested. The device information providing service 242 refers to the device function list (Fig. 7), and returns a list of functions related to the device-wide operation and access destination information (Fig. 8 (8)).

Then, the getPowerState referring to the power state is transmitted to the access destination obtained in FIG. 8 (8) from the controller (FIG. 8 (9)), and it can be seen from the response that the TV power is on (FIG. 8). (10)). The function getPowerState transmitted by the controller according to the protocol common to the first network is interpreted by the device control protocol 222 and passed to the corresponding control object device 2 control 531 of the device control service 241. The device 2 control converts the protocol into a device that the device 2 141 can interpret, and transmits it to the device 2 141 through the second network. The response from the device 2 141 is received by the device 2 control 531, converted into a protocol common to the first network, and returned to the controller through the information exchange protocol processing unit 220. That is, the controller can acquire and control information of the devices connected to the second network in the same order as the devices connected to the second network.

According to the present invention, since the target GW device 140 manages the device under the gateway and manages the device information and the device control service in a form accessible from the controller, the controller is also a network device directly connected to the IP network. Devices connected under the gateway can also be controlled using a common method.

In addition, the access URL of the apparatus managed by the target GW apparatus may be in a format 620 having a directory structure from the IP address 610 of the target GW apparatus, as shown in FIG. 9, and may be virtual to the apparatus under the target GW apparatus. An IP address may be set (630), and the format 640 may be called from the set virtual IP address.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to control the target GW device having a device which also manages the target device under the control, and the device under the target GW device with the common service, and the network device connected to the IP network. In addition, a network device and a network device control method capable of controlling the AV device connected to the 1394IF through the gateway device from the IP network and the white goods connected to the ECHONET without being distinguished can be provided.

Claims (13)

A network device having a communication interface for connecting to a first network and a second communication interface for connecting to a second network and having a function of managing and controlling a network device connected to the second network, the network device comprising: Control information comprising the function information of the network device or information for controlling the network device and control function call information, and the function information of the network device connected to the second network or the network device connected to the second network. Control information comprising information for device control and control function call information is generated in a data format accessible to a first network in a common message format, and the network device and the network according to the request of the other network device. A network device connected to the second network which provides the device information or the control information without discriminating the network device connected to the second network managed by the device and is called in a message format common to the first network. Know the control function of in the second network A target service unit for converting to a command format, and generating and transmitting a message according to a message format common to the first network, or interpreting a message generated according to a message format common to the received first network; And an information exchange protocol processing unit for passing to the unit. A network device having a communication interface for connecting to a first network, the network device comprising: Sending a message in a message format common to the first network to another network device to obtain control information consisting of function information owned by the other network device or information for controlling the other network device and control function call information, and A control unit for constructing and transmitting a message for controlling the other network device and controlling the other network device based on the function information and the control information, and common to the first network at the request of the control unit; And an information exchange protocol processing unit for generating a message according to a message format of the message and transmitting the message to the other network device, or for interpreting a message generated according to a message format common to the received first network and passing the message to the control unit. Characterized by a network device. A network device having a communication interface for connecting to a first network, the network device comprising: The control information comprising the function information of the network device or the information for controlling the network device and control function call information is generated in a data format that can be accessed in a message format common to the first network, and is requested by another network device. A target service unit which provides the device information or the control information according to the above and converts a control function called in a message format common to the first network into a command format unique to the network device; And an information exchange protocol processing unit for generating and transmitting a message according to a common message format or interpreting a message generated according to a message format common to the received first network and passing the message to the target service unit. Network devices. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, Exchanging messages between the network devices, thereby making it possible to call functions provided by the network devices or to acquire information that the network devices have. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, And a description format of information of messages exchanged between the network devices using an Extensible Markup Language (XML) format. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, And a Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) as a communication protocol for messages exchanged between the network devices. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, And a function of a message exchanged between the network devices, and a format of an argument using a WSDL (Web Service Description Language). The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, A network device that searches for a network device capable of exchanging messages according to a message format common to the first network by using transmission and response of an inquiry message by a multicast message of User Datagram Protocol (UDP). . The method of claim 1, Using the IP address of the network device as a route, control information including function information of the network device connected to the second network, information for device control of the network device connected to the second network, and control function call information, And make a call with a hierarchically configured Uniform Resource Locator (URL) such as a name or a function of a network device connected to the second network. The method of claim 1, Control information comprising function information of a network device connected to a second network or information for controlling a device connected to the second network and control function call information, wherein the network device is connected to the second network. A network device configured to be called using an IP address virtually assigned to the network device. A network device control method used in a network system in which a plurality of network devices are connected to a first network, At least one network device of the network system is a network device having a gateway function and accessible to a second network, and having a function of managing and controlling a network device connected to the second network. Controlling device information comprising control information comprising function information or information for controlling the network device and control function call information, and function information of a network device connected to the second network or a network device connected to the second network Generating control information comprising information for the information and control function call information in a data format accessible to a first network in a common message format and managed by the network device and the network device according to a request of the other network device. 2 Connect to the network Providing the device information or the control information without distinguishing the network device, and notifying the control function of the network device connected to the second network called in a message format common to the first network in the second network. And transmitting a control command converted into a command form of the control unit to a network device connected to the corresponding second network to control the network device connected to the second network. A network device control method used in a network system in which a plurality of network devices are connected to a first network, The network device has a function of exchanging messages according to a message format common to the first network, and the network device having a function of controlling another network device is a message having a message format common to the first network to other network devices. And transmit control information including function information owned by the other network device or information for controlling the other network device and control function call information, and based on the obtained function information and the control information, the other network. And constructing a message for controlling the device, and generating and transmitting a message according to a message format common to the first network to the other network device to control the other network device. In the network device control method used for a network system to which a plurality of first network devices are connected, The network device has a function of exchanging messages according to a common message format, and the network device has a common function in the first network of control information consisting of function information owned by the network device or information for controlling the network device and control function call information. The network device generates a control function generated in a data format that can be accessed in a message format, provides corresponding device information or corresponding control information according to a request of another network device, and calls a control function called in a message format common to the first network. And controlling the network device by converting it into a command format unique to the network device.